NASA is making strides in the development of its space age MMO, a demo has been set for release
NASA has set a release date of early 2010 for Moonbase Alpha, a demo of its MMO designed to educate people on space exploration through gaming. It is now available for viewing on their website
“The mini demo game Moon Base Alpha utilizes actual NASA Constellation program design details developed by NASA for mankind’s return to the Moon in 2020. Timelines in the much anticipated Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond MMO will be set even farther in the exciting future (2035+),” according to NASA’s website http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/mmo/. The game will focus on different themes, incorporating space travel and exploration of extraterrestrial environments. Although the game is made for entertainment purposes, NASA has a higher agenda for its product.
“Virtual worlds with scientifically accurate simulations could permit learners to tinker with chemical reactions in living cells, practice operating and repairing expensive equipment, and experience microgravity, making it easier to grasp complex concepts and transfer this understanding quickly to practical problems,” according NASA’s website. The software is geared toward educating people on scientific subjects that are hard to grasp in traditional learning environments.
Officials at NASA recognize that gaming has created new avenues to approach learning and wants to utilize gaming technology to improve education. “The power of games as educational tools is rapidly gaining recognition. NASA is in a position to develop an online game that functions as a persistent, synthetic environment supporting education as a laboratory, massive visualization tools and collaborative workspace while simultaneously drawing users into a challenging, game-play immersion.”
http://www.gamedibs.com/dibs/news/pc/nasa-sets-release-date-for-mmo-demo
